Love, Angst and Destinies
by MaxStupidity
Summary: Merlin Emrys, struggling with his lessons on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", goes to his professor Mr. Penndragon, aka royal prat, for help.


**A/N:**_ Inspired by the school/classroom photoshoot they did. T for safety ;]_  
><em>Also my first fic contribution to this lovely fandom ;D RR please. Tips appreciated.  
>I apologize in advance for the format :( Again, I'm new to this. <em>

* * *

><p>Mr. Penndragon walked into the classroom on just another Monday morning, tired and grumpy but determined all the same. His students began to stumble into class one after the other, sleepily dragging themselves to their seats. Thirty minutes and a million and one yawns later, the one and only Merlin Emrys ran into class, once again terrifyingly late. "Morning" he huffed, panting and out of breathe from presumably sprinting all the way from his house to Arthur's class. "Um, no, that would be half an hour ago, Emrys. What is it this time? Got hogged by goblins?" Merlin rolled his eyes at the smirk on Arthur's face, mumbled something unpleasant under his breath, and dragged himself to his chair. Literature was his favourite class - not only because his teacher was blonde with blue eyes, gorgeous and made him horny despite himself - but because he truly liked the subject, except sometimes, his gorgeous teacher irritated him more than any one else he knew. However, Merlin accepted the fact that no being was perfect enough to be both sensible and stunning, so he took his seat, lay back, and let Arthur's voice lull him away into Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.<p>

It was 3:30 in the evening and the final bell had just rung dismissing teachers and students alike after a stressful day. Arthur had been elaborating one of the most complicated (and nonetheless beautiful) tongues of English literature to confused and rather bored students all day. He just wanted to get home and have a nice, warm bath. He rushed out of his tiny classroom into the buzzing hallways, desperate to get home, only to find himself bumping rather heavily into - of course! - Merlin Emrys.  
>Merlin blushed to a deep red, the tips of his ears and neck burning up from the physical contact brought by bashing into his year-long crush. He bit his lips tentatively and quickly apologized for his clumsiness, and damn, he really should pay more attention to where he's rushing.<br>"Ah, of course, who else but my most troublesome student to attack me after school hours?" sighed Arthur, completely ignoring Merlin's (almost sincere) apology.  
>"Oh, for Christ - it's not like I did it on purpose, Arthur."<br>"Didn't you, now? And that's Mr. Penn to you, Emrys."  
>At this point, the tired and grumpy Merlin had had just about enough from that dolophead. "Prat!"<br>"Excuse me?"  
>"Clotpole!"<br>"_Mer_lin." Arthur raised a crooked eyebrow and stepped impossibly closer to his student, almost as if challenging him. His eyes studied Merlin carefully, like a hunter studying his prey. "Get out of my way, idiot, or I'll have you in detention for this." An arrogant smirk sneaked its way to Arthur's lips, and he watched as Merlin's eyes widened disbelievingly, but the boy was exhausted and couldn't afford to spend an hour with Morgause (the scariest teacher at Camelot High), so he clenched his teeth, muttered "whatever" and ran away. Arthur's expression softened from a smirk to a genuine, fond smile as his eyes followed the back of Merlin's head till he disappeared into the crowd. Then, Arthur went back home and had a nice, cold shower.

Arthur watched from afar as a group of bigger students bullied two of his shamelessly, guilty memories striking him like waves violently crashing into the tide. Arthur had seen the whole thing - Will accidentally bumping into Mordred and his gang, them having no mercy on him, Merlin throwing himself into the whole scrape desperate to save his best buddy even if it meant taking a beating for him. It all happened in a course of two minutes, and Arthur didn't know why but the second Mordred lifted his hand to Merlin, he found himself running to save him, as if it was his own life at sake and not his student's. It wasn't because he might lose his job if he didn't act, no, it wasn't part of the job to stand up for your students in the face of danger, and it wasn't because he disliked Mordred even though he did. It wasn't because he was bullied at school, because he wasn't. In fact, he didn't know quite why, just that his body had lunged itself in the way and his heart was racing like it was going to jump out of his chest. "Enough!" he yelled. "Detention. All of you." He couldn't quite keep the anger out of his voice, which surprised him - he was normally the most collected person he knew. "Merlin - Will, come with me."  
>It was the first time Merlin saw Arthur do something drastic to help anyone but himself, and it gave Merlin a fuzzy, warm feeling in his heart for the man. The feeling stayed all the time Arthur talked to him and Will, asking repeatedly whether they were alright, if they needed anything, etc. It was the first time, Merlin thought, that he'd seen Arthur act as a real man, instead of being childish or faking maturity. It was also the first time (outside of class, when Arthur would talk about Shakespeare and his plays, and his eyes would shine and his composed expression would break and his voice would soften) he'd seen a piece of the real Arthur, the Arthur who shone bright and honest and good.<p>

It was the last class of Romeo and Juliet before mid-terms, with the same bored students and complicated literature and lovely Shakespeare, and Arthur was, as always, tired but determined. He looked at his students but lost himself completely as he recited Romeo's pleads to Juliet, only catching himself and blushing slightly after he had finished. Thankfully, his students were wearing their usual bored faces, and he comforted himself by insisting that no one had noticed - and he would have believed it, except a very dreamy Merlin Emrys was staring at him with his elbows propped on his desk and hands cupping his face, possibly lost in daydream. Thankfully, the final bell rang loudly just then, and Arthur allowed himself to imagine it had never happened, as his students - excluding Merlin - scrambled outside of class.

Merlin might have been daydreaming a lot lately. Upon rereading Romeo and Juliet, he realized he was completely and utterly confused when it came to most sonnets. He was slacking off, and he knew it. So he was doomed, he knew, into taking extra hours with his maybe-not-so-much-of-a-prat-but-still-stunningly-gorgeous blonde teacher. This worried him somewhat, but he didn't want to bring home marks that would disappoint his loving mother and possibly ruin his future, so after the last class of Romeo and Juliet before the break for mid-terms, he stayed behind after the bell to ask for Arthur's help.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, uncertain, when he realized there was one student left in class, an incredibly odd thing since the bell dismissing everyone for mid-terms break had just rung. "Do you need something?"  
>"Um…" Merlin glanced at his shoes, too nervous to look his teacher in the eyes.<br>"Out with it, _Mer_lin." Arthur urged, impatient. He smirked, but his eyes looked more anxious than arrogant.  
>"Well, you see, I had just been wondering. I don't really understand most of these sonnets because I might've been possibly slacking off lately, a lot, actually, and I don't want to fail and disappoint everyone and I really do need to pass desperately and please, would you help me?" He blurted it all out in one big gulp, his nerves on edge.<br>"_What? _Merlin, slow down! All I got was sonnets, disappoint and help. Tell me again, _slowly_." He said the last part like he was talking to a child that was slightly mentally deficient.  
>Merlin groaned, but repeated anyways. "I need you to help me. I don't understand these sonnets and if you don't, I'm going to fail!"<br>Arthur just laughed and told Merlin that seeing as he was the top of his class in literature ever since, well, ever, he obviously didn't need Arthur's help, but then realizing the desperation in Merlin's eyes, reconsidered and said that of course, since Arthur was better at everything, maybe Merlin really did need him. And Merlin sighed with relief and smiled gratefully.  
>That was how a gorgeous blonde and an elf-like dark head ended up spending a month reciting Shakespeare to each other.<p>

It was fall, and the weather was nice enough to be outside. Student and tutor walked around parks in the evening and sat around pubs at night sharing a copy of Romeo and Juliet.  
>"What about this part?<br>'The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars  
>As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven<br>Would through the airy region stream so bright  
>That birds would sing and think it were not night.' "<br>"Uhhh… Maybe he's saying that her beauty shines brighter than anything he's seen or heard before, and even to the birds and the stars, even to the heavens, there is nothing like her.." Merlin attempted, and failed, to explain the famous verses, making Arthur laugh. "No, don't be such a girl, _Mer_lin!" Seeing Merlin's troubled frown, he laughed again, grabbed the book from Merlin's hand and sat down on a bench, pulling Merlin with him.  
>"Alright, look. 'Her eye in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright, that birds would sing and think it were not night.' - Now, think, if you were Romeo, what would you tell Juliet? If she was standing before you, and just her eyes shone so bright that they'd convince the birds it's day and not night. If she was standing before you in the dark, her beauty eclipsing the stars?"<br>Merlin might have ogled (more in awe than anything else) just a bit when Arthur recited Shakespeare like that, but he hid it by nudging his almost-friend and laughing, "Who's the girl now, Arthur?" earning himself a grin and a "Shut up, _Merl_in!" They stayed like that for a while, just laughing away with the soft breeze that pushed around them. Then Arthur looked at his watch and sighed "I have to go. Lunch with the king and the witch. Wish me luck?" And Merlin could've sworn he heard disappointment there somewhere, but he didn't think of it much, just laughed and answered "Good luck. See you tonight? The King's Head?" "Same time as yesterday." Arthur nodded, maybe took Merlin's breathe away just a bit with his smile, and left.

"Romeo, oh, Romeo" Merlin half slurred, half whispered into Arthur's ear, and Arthur could smell and feel Merlin's breathe, as heavy with beer as his own. Except he wasn't such a lightweight. They've met up twice almost everyday for two weeks now, but Merlin still had a lot of Shakespeare left, and it didn't help much that half the time, Arthur was getting Merlin drunk instead of tutoring him.

"Merlin?"  
>"Arthur?"<br>"Merlin! I'm sorry, I can't make it! I hope you haven't been waiting!"  
>"I have, for quite a while now! You owe me." Merlin laughed over Arthur's groan.<br>"Sorry. You could come over now, could you? I could tutor you here, if you don't mind the witch leering over."  
>Merlin giggled again, "Alright. I'll be there in -" he glanced at his watch, "ten minutes." And Arthur heard him smiling over the phone.<br>It was the first time Merlin had seen Arthur's house - or mansion, rather. It was _huge. _Humongous, actually, with big fat fancy furniture and expensive-looking paintings. He laughed nervously and asked Arthur if it was entirely safe for him and the furniture to be in the same room. Arthur just rolled his eyes and told him to stop being a girl and Merlin wondered about the relevance but didn't have time to say anything because just then, the witch came gracefully flying in on her broomstick (well, not exactly, but still) with her hair whooshing behind her. "Ah, Morgana!" Exclaimed Arthur, voice dripping with sarcastic fake-enthusiasm. The (gorgeous) witch ignored her (also gorgeous) half- brother and greeted Merlin by hugging him which was a bit weird, seeing as he had never actually met her before. "So, you're the one who's been stealing my brother from me all this time!" She smiled, graceful, beautiful, sweet and evil all at once and it gave Merlin goose bumps despite himself.  
>Arthur could tell at once that Merlin's head was spinning with the surprise of his mansion-like house, and of the furniture, and of the paintings, and perhaps of just being in Arthur's home, so when Morgana flung herself at Merlin, he took one look at his friend, realized he was about to burst, and dragged him away from it all into the study room.<br>Merlin was glad when Arthur interfered (though he still was a little overwhelmed looking at Arthur's huge bookcases) and he settled himself into a chair in the relatively cosy study room, with Romeo and Juliet on his lap and a little dazed smile playing at his lips as he thought 'Well. This is new. But I like it. I like all the fancy furniture and I like Morgana. And I really, really, really, _really _like Arthur.'  
>Arthur leaned against the table next to Merlin, so they were facing each other. Then they began their daily routine; reciting sonnets to each other and interpreting them in a million different ways before coming to an agreement, that this was Romeo and Juliet and everything was <em>love, angst<em> _and_ _destinies_. "Romeo, oh, Romeo" sighed Arthur, allowing himself for the one and only time to get a little lost in the blue of Merlin's eyes.

"Maybe he was saying that he loved all of her. Her imperfections, where they might present themselves, and her impeccability, and that their connection was love in it's truest form." Arthur said. It was late, and they had spent the day in Merlin's room talking, about school, about life, about Shakespeare. And Arthur was staring into Merlin's eyes in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable, so that he wanted to look away, but found that he just couldn't. That Arthur's blue eyes were as hypnotizing as everything else about his gorgeous self. They knew each other so well now, they knew each other's timings, each other's rhythms, and Merlin found it unsettling that he wanted to snog Arthur right there, to kiss him and make him shut up because all his interpretations of Shakespeare were really rubbish anyways (well, not really, but Merlin found that he understood and knew everything already, that somehow, as if by magic, he knew - he knew all about angst and destinies. He knew all about love. He knew all about Romeo's feelings for Juliet, and all about Juliet's feelings for Romeo, and that it was pointless, if not irritating, to have to listen to Arthur repeat them . But he would never tell that to Arthur, because he needed him around. Because he knew all about love and angst, all about destinies, and he knew if he told Arthur he no longer needed him to explain, that if Arthur left… Well, let's just say he would be very broken.)  
>Arthur couldn't help himself. Merlin's eyes were just the right shade of blue. Merlin's hair was just the right shade of black. Merlin… Merlin was just perfect for him. It didn't help that he knew everything about Merlin, all his timings and all his rhythms, and everything in between, but knew that Merlin didn't know everything about him. Merlin didn't know that everything Romeo felt for Juliet, Arthur was feeling now, for him. Merlin didn't know that every time Arthur looked at his lips (that were just the perfect shade of red) he wanted to kiss him, more than he'd ever wanted to kiss anyone before.<p>

"Will? Will? Please come over." Merlin was close to tears and he needed his best friend.  
>Half an hour later, Will was listening to Merlin mope about the love of his life, Romeo and Juliet, and blonde men with terrible blue eyes and horrible charm - and oh God, Merlin was a teenage girl in need of ice cream, Will's shoulder and a hug, which is exactly what he got.<br>Arthur sighed. "Alright, alright, you mighty witch. Stop teasing now. It's bad enough as it is." Arthur pouted like a little boy - _endearing _- but Morgana didn't stop laughing. "Awe, it is adorable, really, Arthur! Just don't let the school board, or worse, dad, find out about your little student crush!" Arthur glared and wondered why he thought talking to Morgana would help anything at all.

It was two nights before mid-terms and Merlin and Arthur were celebrating a month of well learned sonnets by getting incredibly drunk.  
>"Oh, Romeo, speak to me the language of <em>luurrrrve<em>!" "Merlino, Oh, _Merlino_!" "That's Spanish, youprat" "Nooooo, that's your name, idiot."  
>It was messy. They were exclaiming over each other, not really making much sense, the words they tried to speak overlapping and sounding more like a milkshake of random letters than actual words. By the end of the night, it didn't even matter.<br>Somehow, they managed to get a cab to Arthur's mansion, and they made it to the couch by dragging each other there almost half dead, before passing out.

Arthur awoke first. His hand was crushed in Merlin's hair, damp and sweaty. Merlin was asleep on his chest, lips parted, tongue slightly hanging out of his mouth, and drooling over Arthur's stained shirt. It took Arthur a moment to register the state they were in with his massive hangover, to realize that their limbs were completely tangled in a way that could never be considered appropriate.  
>And for that, he was glad he had woken before Merlin. With a little struggle, he got himself untangled, and it left him feeling heavier and the effort exhausted him, but even then, the sleeping form of Merlin - his Romeo, the love of his life - sprawled out on his couch, his breathing heavy and wet, aroused him.<br>When Merlin woke up, he had the hangover of his life. At first, he didn't register where exactly he was or how he got there, just that he had drooled all over someone's couch and that his limbs were placed in a rather odd manner. Then he recognized the over-fancy-expensive furniture and little bits and pieces began to click. Even through his terrible hangover, he couldn't help but freak out a little. It didn't help though, so he concentrated on finding Arthur.

When Merlin found Arthur, Arthur sent him away with a few painkillers saying that he needed to concentrate now, on things that weren't Romeo and Juliet, since English Literature wasn't his only subject. Merlin went home, had a bath and more painkillers than was advised, but he knew that English Literature wasn't the reason he couldn't concentrate. The reason was plain and simple (except, not really): Arthur.  
>Arthur sent Merlin home because Merlin needed to concentrate. Because Merlin deserved a good future. Because Merlin wasn't the one who wanted to pick him up and kiss him passionately, kiss him like Romeo and Juliet's first kiss, and their last.<p>

A week later, Merlin was at his last exam: English Literature. The past seven days, he had been able to distract himself enough with Mathematics and Physics and History. But that day, as he read the familiar sonnets and simple questions on his exam paper about Romeo and Juliet's legendary love, memories came crashing in on him. He thought of lazy mornings with Arthur, and late nights with Arthur, and it didn't help one bit that Arthur was over his shoulder reading over his answers, Arthur in his suit and tie which for the past month, he hadn't touched once. Arthur looking smug and arrogant and prattish, with a fake smile plastered on his face for anyone who isn't Merlin; Arthur looking like the Arthur Merlin knew wasn't really him, because Merlin knew the Arthur deep down under that smug smile.  
>Arthur silently read Merlin's scribble-y handwriting. He noticed the way Merlin gripped his pen, nervous and almost scared but confident all at once, and the way the words spilled from the pen onto the paper, the rushed tall, languid letters. "Romeo was saying that he loved Juliet exceedingly, loved her imperfection wherever it may present itself, and her perfection alike."<p>

A few days passed of Merlin staring and daydreaming about his Romeo, and Arthur not noticing because he was too busy staring and daydreaming about his own Romeo.  
>Then on Friday, Arthur passed back the mid term exams, and Merlin had a red gleaming 'A+' on his.<br>"Alright, everyone put your exams away. It's a new term and we're done with Shakespeare." A round of applause and cheers from (almost) everyone filled the class. Arthur huffed at his unappreciative class; does no one know the importance of good literature anymore? "Emrys, I'd like to see you after class." He said over the noise. "Yes, Ar- Mr. Penn." Merlin replied, blushing immediately and cursing his give-away ears for it when he saw the playful smirk tugging on Arthur's lips.  
>The bell couldn't ring soon enough. Merlin waited for everyone to pile out of class before walking over to Arthur, not bothering to hide his grin, as big as Arthur's mansion. Arthur grinned back, but grabbed Merlin's proud exam from him and placed it on the table, leaning over it to point at a specific line. "This," he began, "is plagiarism!"<br>And Merlin burst into laughter and Arthur too, and said "No, no, it isn't, see? Because you never said, you never said 'perfection' see? You said 'impeccability' and there's a huge difference!" "We could discuss that over lunch."

It was probably the fanciest restaurant Merlin had ever been to, and he wondered why Arthur had gone to all the trouble. They weren't in fact discussing plagiarism, because they were discussing Arthur coming over to celebrate his A+ with Morgana and Will, and Arthur said sure, as long as he'd come over to meet the king and Leon, and that's fine with Merlin if Arthur meets Gwen, and that sounds good with Arthur if Merlin meets Gwaine, and -  
>And that's how a week later there was a huge party at Arthur's palace, all invited. Uther didn't mind that much; in fact he decided to give the kids the house for the full day, except Arthur convinced him to stay long enough to meet Merlin.<br>To be honest, Merlin didn't know why Arthur went through all the trouble, except that Arthur was his best friend and he was Arthur's best friend, and it would be perfect if only Merlin didn't feel so much more than friendship for Arthur. And if Arthur didn't feel so much more than friendship for Merlin.

The party was a success. Everyone got acquainted with everyone, and everyone hit it off. Even Uther seemed to approve of Merlin. "You're good for him." He said, when Arthur was out of earshot, and Merlin had blushed a terrible beet root red, but it was true. Merlin was good for Arthur, and as Hunith told Arthur when Merlin was otherwise occupied, he was good for Merlin too.  
>Of course, there was a good lot of dating and loving happening after the party.<br>At first, it was Lancelot and Gwen, because they couldn't look away from each other, not once.  
>And then it was Morgana and Will, because they both bit.<br>And it was as if a whole bunch of Romeos found their Juliets that night.

After that, it was all fine for a while. It was all great. Just staring, and daydreaming, and practically the whole essence of Romeo and Juliet again in the 21st century. Alright, it was terrible. And it wasn't Merlin's fault if he got terribly drunk one night and came pouring and wrenching to Arthur's mansion.  
>Arthur, of course, let him in, being hopelessly blinded with love, too blind to see the warnings of the calm before the storm - and this, this was the storm.<br>Somehow, Arthur got Merlin calmed down when they were in his room, Merlin slightly exhausted but refusing to rest. Instead, he lay down on Arthur's bed and talked words that didn't make sense, but told a lot.  
>"Romeo" "…" "Lov-Desti-" "…" "Romeo" "…" "<em>Arthurrrrrrr<em>"  
>"Merlin?" Arthur whispered. He was scared, and he didn't bother to hide it because Merlin was too drunk to notice anyway.<br>"No. Romeo. _Arthurrr._"  
>"<em>Merlin?<em>"  
>"ROMEO."<br>And with that, Merlin somehow managed to drag himself out of Arthur's bed to plunge himself on Arthur instead. And Arthur didn't manage to carry him back to his bed, or anywhere, for that matter, because Merlin's lips were kissing Arthur's, it wasn't perfect and nothing made sense, but it was better than anything Arthur had experienced in a long, long time. It was imperfect, but to Arthur, it was just right.

Eventually, Merlin passed out after long minutes of needy, drunken kisses. And only then did Arthur carry him (bridal style) to his bed, tucked him in, and then dared to take a deep, shaky breath.  
>Merlin woke up in the early morning, in the same bed as Arthur. They weren't anywhere close to touching, but he recalled the night before when they were. Panic struck him and he knew, he <em>knew <em>he'd gone and messed it up, and that knowledge hurt more than anything. It hurt so much that even though he wanted to - _needed_ to - he couldn't get himself to leave. So he just cuddled up on his side and cried himself back to sleep.  
>Arthur woke up to find Merlin curled up away from him, in the very edge of his bed, his cheeks tear strained. He didn't know how to react, because his world was upside down. Because his Romeo had come to him, drunken, and kissed him until he no longer knew anything at all.<br>Merlin woke up again to Arthur's touch. Arthur's cold fingers were stroking his damp cheeks softly. It was only the faintest of contact, his teacher's fingers barely glazing his skin, but it set off a fire inside him. And when he saw Arthur's face looming over him, when he saw the vulnerable look in Arthur's eyes, he gasped.  
>And then, because Merlin hadn't done anything to push him off, Arthur leaned in closer, closing the distance between them with a real, sober kiss.<p>

It was slow and lingering at first. And then, it was quick and wanting. And then it was slow and lingering all over again. They made love, then had each other any way they liked, then made love again, and it wouldn't end because damn - just like Romeo and Juliet, they were in love. And though there was all the irony, because they couldn't be more different but that was just fine because they made each other whole, and though there was all the angst, that Merlin was just barely 18 and Arthur was 22 and his teacher, it didn't matter. It didn't matter what the school board thought, because Merlin was Arthur's destiny, and they knew. They knew, because it was as if Shakespeare had written down their hearts open and clear and honest to the world. They knew because they spent the night together, and Arthur told Merlin that though he was his teacher, Merlin was the wise one, and Merlin had taught him in a month more than he had known his whole life. They knew because that night, Merlin whispered "Romeo, oh, Romeo" in Arthur's ear, and it filled him up with emotions he never knew existed before. They knew, because Merlin saw it in Arthur's eyes - Merlin saw his own emotions mirrored in Arthur's eyes, and it was all the proof he needed. Merlin loved Arthur, and Arthur loved Merlin.

~ Epilogue ~

"Shhhh." Arthur whispered, grinning as Merlin giggled.

"Arthur, what are we doing here?" Merlin whispered.

"You'll see soon, idiot." he whispered back.

Hand in hand, they sneaked through the window into an old classroom. Memories rushed back to hit them both like thunder. Nice, sweet memories, of forlorn looks and ogling and silent promises. Arthur thought back to the day they met, and the day they fell in love, two years ago now.

It was 7 AM, and they only had half an hour before students and teachers would begin arriving.

Arthur lifted Merlin up and placed him cautiously on the table, as Merlin shrieked silently and giggled and tried to wiggle away until he just giggled and swung his legs happily. Then, Arthur knelt on one knee and got out a little red box, which he swiftly opened to reveal a diamond ring.

"Romeo, oh, Romeo" He whispered, so silent that the words only gently caressed Merlin's hearing. "Will you marry me?"

".."

".."

"**YES**."


End file.
